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Africa Is Not a Priority in the West

Darfur's rebel groups are meeting in Nigeria, but not much is expected to come of it. Heinrich Bergstresser comments on peculiarities of African diplomacy in the case of Sudan and Africa's marginal status in the world.

Bush Plays Own Fiddle in Mideast

In a surprising U-turn, Washington has agreed to the expansion of several Jewish settlements in Palestinian territories. The EU, the UN and Russia now ought to take a stand. A commentary by Peter Philipp

Providing the Discourse That Attracts Terrorists

Saudi Arabia has repeatedly become the target of terrorist attacks. But regime critics say that it was government tactics that have provided a fertile feeding ground for terrorist ideology. Reinhard Baumgarten about the necessity of reforms

Gadhafi's Checkbook Diplomacy

Berlin and Libya have reached a deal on compensation for victims of the 1986 La Belle disco bombing, which left three dead and 200 injured, but a confession is still not forthcoming. A commentary by Peter Philipp

Judging Successful Democratisation

Estonia, Lithuania, Chile, Botswana, Mali. Those are the countries that made the greatest strides towards democracy and a market economy in the last five years, says a report unveiled by the Bertelsmann Foundation.

For a Special Relationship with the Palestinians

Aref Hajjaj takes a look at the difficult German-Palestinian relations and argues that Germany should take on a more active role in the Middle East peace process.

Forging Links with Europe

Instead of making his first trip to Iraq's former occupying power, the US, the country's interim foreign minister is meeting his EU colleagues on Monday in Brussels. In doing so, he demonstrates the country's independence. By Bernd Riegert

"We Need to Strengthen the Dialogue with Iran"

In spite of the conservative shift following the Iranian parliamentary elections, Michael Gahler, member of the European Parliament, sees good chances for expanding political and economic relations between Europe and Iran. Interview: Peter Philipp

Globalisation Is an External Phenomenon

Globalisation is having a profound effect on the entire world. For Africa, however, the traffic has all been one way: globalisation and the advent of information and communication technology have flooded the continent with western ideals and standards. By Ayodele Aderinwale

Germany Sees a Bright Future in Turkish Markets

In the 19th Century, Germans helped build the Baghdad Railway connecting Turkey to Iraq. Turkey remains an important trading partner today and German businessmen are eager to tap into the market of the future.